Permits and Even More Negotiations

The permit was submitted… and then the waiting began. It could take up to two months, but fortunately we received a response within a month.

Just not the response we were hoping for.

The permit had been rejected. On three points:

• There was insufficient capacity on the electricity grid to support our plans

• The outbuildings are located in a zone naturelle (nature zone), where building is not allowed

• There is not enough fire water available to adequately respond in case of a fire

What a huge setback.

We contacted the company assisting us with the purchase process multiple times. They reached out to various authorities to get clarity. Even the mayor of Riguepeu was contacted and she too was surprised by the rejection. In fact, she expressed how happy she would be if we brought new life to the building and fully supports our plans.

Gradually, it became clear that the situation was more nuanced than the rejection suggested. Point one, the electricity, could be resolved in the future, as there are already plans to upgrade the grid.Point two turned out to be a misinterpretation: the buildings already exist and we are not planning to build anything new.And point three? That could be relatively easily solved, for example by installing a fire water provision.

Still, doubts remained. Especially the electricity issue was crucial for us, and that’s something we have no control over.

As if it wasn’t enough, a severe storm hit the area that same week. We received photos from the estate agent who had gone to check on the property.

The enormous tree in front of the house had fallen. Fortunately, not onto the house itself… but the impact had caused additional damage to the roof. Part of the tree ended up in the swimming pool, and the roots may have caused damage underground as well.

We already had an appointment scheduled for February 28 to take another look and measure everything. We decided to go ahead with it, now also to assess the damage ourselves.

And it was worse than we expected.

The roof was on the verge of collapsing. Tiles had been blown off in multiple places, allowing water to get inside. Combined with the uncertainty around the permits, it didn’t exactly make us feel optimistic.

Because we were certain that this is the region where we want to live, we had also scheduled several other viewings, including an existing B&B.

In the end, we were only able to view one property with an agent. It was nice, but it had close neighbors and not enough land for our liking.We also viewed three other houses from the outside, but none of them met our expectations.

The existing B&B, on the other hand, was beautiful. Well maintained, lovely rooms, and breathtaking views over the landscape, with the Pyrenees visible in the distance. All three of us were enthusiastic.The only downside: there was no option to create a private living area. You would always be sharing your space with guests.

On the drive back home, we talked everything through once more. And that’s when we made a decision.

We would make one final offer on the house in Riguepeu.An absurdly low offer,

fully expecting it to be rejected. But we also realized: despite everything, we were willing to take the risk.

We submitted the offer on Monday.On Tuesday, we got a call.

There was a counteroffer.

The owner had already moved back to England and needed to sell the property. She came back with a surprisingly good counteroffer.

We didn’t have to think about it for long.

We accepted.

On March 18, the preliminary purchase agreement was finally signed. The transfer of ownership is scheduled for June 30.

What once started as a distant dream… now suddenly feels very close.